- Judge Henry Blacksell said he would pass 'least possible' sentence as he praised defendants' 'talent'

A judge described a graffiti gang who
caused £150,000 worth of damage in planned attacks on trains as
'talented artists', as he locked them up for a combined total of almost
four years.

Keiron
Cummings, 21, Alex Rowe, 22, and Billy McColl, 17, targeted train and
tube carriages across London in a three-year campaign described as
vandalism on 'an industrial scale'.

The
trio, who called themselves 'SMT', caused huge disruption to train
services by spraying their tag onto carriages under cover of darkness.
But Judge Henry Blacksell said the defendants had 'got talent', and that
he would pass the 'least possible' sentence.

After vandalising trains the gang
members would brag about the damage they had caused by posting pictures
and videos of their handiwork online, Blackfriars Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor
Jacques Howell said Cummings even had a map of the capital's rail
network in his bedroom pin-pointing the raids, with the words 'you need
all this and more' written above it.

'Planned and prolonged campaign': The trio's attacks caused considerable
cost and disruption to London Underground and National Rail services, a
court heard

'This was a planned and prolonged
campaign of damage to property of an almost industrial scale, and caused
considerable cost and disruption to London Underground and national
rail services,' he said.'It's not simply tagging with marker pens. The scale we are talking about is the entire carriage being daubed.'The aim is obviously to get kudos amongst the graffiti community,' Mr Howell added.

'Adrenaline rush': British Transport Police launched an investigation in
the wake of a huge increase in graffiti with the 'SMT' tag

The trio were caught after British
Transport Police officers launched an investigation to try and stop a
huge increase in graffiti with the SMT tag.

They
were caught three times carrying paint, face masks and gloves between
January and June at stations in Northwood, Watford and Ealing before
they were remanded in custody.Examining
a dossier of Rowe's work, Judge Henry Blacksell said that, while he
understood public frustration at the damage caused by the vandals, he
did not want to jail them.He said: 'I will pass the least possible sentence. These are young men and people care about them.'I don't endorse it but I understand
the adrenaline rush and the feeling it gives them and they may be
isolated in their families.

'I
don't want to be doing this and I will by as lenient as I can be.
They've got talent and some of Mr Rowe's portfolio you would be proud
of.'Clearly they are talented artists,' the judge added.But
Judge Blacksell said the least possible sentence would still mean
prison for the trio, who all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit
criminal damage.He
said: 'This is a course of conduct which is all too prevalent in our
society as well as abroad and is dealt with by people who no doubt have
talent.'Sadly it's often young men who in other areas of their lives feel isolated or inadequate.'Taking
trains out of service affects people who are trying to live their
ordinary lives, disrupting them in ways you probably don't understand.'It's often said by those who carry it out that this is a victimless crime but it is not.'It's all very unfortunate because you are young men and it's a waste of your lives.'Cummings, of Ruislip, north west London, was sentenced to two years in prison.Rowe, of Stantonbury, Milton Keynes, Bucks, was handed nine months in prison.McColl, of South Ruislip, was sentenced to a six-month youth detention training order.

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